D.I.V.A.S.

D. - Daughters of
I. - Intelligence
V. - Virtue
A. - Anointing and
S. - Spirituality

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

R-Restored
E-Empowerd
S-Sanctified
P-Prosperous
E-Encouraged
C-Changed
T-Triumphant

Sold Into Slavery

Some 250 years ago, two young Moravian men heard of an island in the West Indies which was virtually owned by one plantation master. He was a violent man who treated his slaves with complete contempt. He would not allow them to know anything of Christianity; no minister was permitted to come and form a church among them. So these two young Moravian men, gripped with a burden for a group of people who might never hear about the love of Jesus, sold themselves into slavery to that plantation master. The money they received for their own lives they used to pay for their passage to get to the island. They gave up their lives to go and live among that community of slaves and bring them the gospel.

Their families came to the docks to farewell them, knowing it was highly doubtful they would ever see them again. As the ship pulled out of the harbour, with mothers crying on the shore, the last words ever heard from them was when one of the young men cried out from the ship’s deck: “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.” That became the catch-cry of the small Moravian community, who sent out 2158 recorded missionaries all over the world. Jesus had died for people who would never hear the gospel unless someone went to tell them.

Now when we hear of those two young men, we are tempted to think “That is not NORMAL! Selling yourself into slavery? Leaving all behind, even grieving family. That is not normal.”

Waddle or Soar

A parable is told of a community of ducks waddling off to duck church one Sunday to hear their duck preacher. After they waddled into the duck sanctuary, the service began and the duck preacher spoke eloquently of how God had given the ducks wings with which to fly.

He pounded the pulpit with his beak and said, with these wings, there is nowhere we ducks can not go! There is no God-given task we ducks cannot accomplish! With these wings we no longer need walk through life. We can soar high in the sky!
Shouts of Amen!¨ were quacked throughout the duck congregation. The duck preacher concluded his message by exclaiming,
With our wings we can fly through life! WE......CAN.....FLY!!!!¨ More ducks quacked out loud AMENS! in response. Every duck loved the service. In fact all the ducks that were present commented on what a wonderfully convicting message they had heard from their duck preacher....and then they left the church and WADDLED all the way home.

APPLICATION
Too often We waddle away from worship the same way we waddled in....Unchanged. It should Not Be when we Genuinely worship God we are responding to God’s grace giving Him our lives allowing Him to change us and make us better people.

Do you know him?

He is the First and Last, the Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and
The Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be...
Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!


The world can't understand him,
The armies can't defeat Him,
The schools can't explain Him,
and The leaders can't ignore Him.


Herod couldn't kill Him,
The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him, and
The people couldn't hold Him!
Nero couldn't crush Him,
Hitler couldn't silence Him,
The New Age can't replace Him, and
He can't be explained away!


He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.
His ways are right, His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.

He is my Redeemer, He is my Savior,
He is my Guide, and He is my Peace!
He is my Joy, He is my Comfort,
He is my Lord, and He rules my life!

I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is light, and
His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,
The Power of the powerful,
The Ancient of Days,
the Ruler of rulers,
The Leader of leaders,
the Overseer of the overcomers, and
The Sovereign Lord of all that was and is and is to come.

And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size.
His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave me,
Never forsake me,
Never mislead me,
Never forget me,
Never overlook me, and
Never cancel my appointment
in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!
He is everything for everybody, everywhere,

Every time, and in every way.
He is God, He is faithful.
I am His, and He is mine!
My Father in heaven can whip
the father of this world.
So, if you're wondering why
I feel so secure, understand this...
He said it and that settles it.


God is in control, I am on His side, and
That means all is well with my soul.
Everyday is a blessing for GOD Is!
Author Unknown

Ships of Faith: Are We Ready To Set Sail?

Sermon Series

WorSHIP
-The Call To Worship (Ps. 95:1-11)
-Worship that Works (John 4:19-23)
-When Worship Is Rejected (Isaiah 1:10-20)

DiscipleSHIP
-Defining Discipleship (Luke 14:25-35
-Discipling Mothers (1 Kings 17:8-24 or 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8)
-Discipleship: Taking Up ACross and A Shovel (Lk 6:46-49)

LeaderSHIP
-The Call to Christian Leadership (1 Samuel 16:1-13)
-Are you leading or following (Mark 7:1-13)


FellowSHIP
-Formative Fellowship (Acts 2:42-46)

StewadSHIP
-TBD
-TBD
-TBD

Bailing Out

Virginia Durr, a privileged Alabamian spent her entire girlhood never having to wonder for a single moment whether she belonged or not. She was a member of the "Magic Circle" or upper-class white society, a debutante and all that goes with it. She grew up to be the woman who, together with her husband, went down to the police station in Montgomery to bail out Rosa parks on that famous night when the bus boycott began, and nothing in the segregated South was ever the same again. After that, Clifford Durr lost his law practive, and much of white Montgomery stopped speaking to them. Mrs. Durr's autobirgraphy is called Outside the Magic Circle. The Durrs took up themselves the burden of the Son of God, who came to live among us as one outside the magic circle. Entering into the Good Friday Three Hours is to step outside with him for a space, "outside the camp" (Heb. 13:13) where the "best people" never go.